Improvement in locks



JAMES VBLLYON, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

uviPaovnMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,224, dated August 19, 1862.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, 'JAMES IV. LYON, of the city of Brooklyn, county ot' Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and correct description thereof, reference being had to the drawings annexed, making a part ofthis specification, andto the letters of reference My said invention consists of self-,acting mechanism arranged in combination with the spring latch-bolt of a door-lock for the purpose of detaining the latch-bolt within the look while the door is open, and for releasing the same and permitting it to Aslip into the keeper when the door'is shut.

Locks have formerly been made so that the bolt could be drawn back within the lock and hooked fast by hand when necessary orconvenient to temporarily dispense with the nse of lhelatch-bolt; but such mechanism doesnot release the bolt by the act of shutting the door, as mine does, neither does it seize the boltand hold it when drawn back for the purpose of opening the door, as mine does, keeping it within the lock until released by closing the door; but .more particularly to describe my said invention I will refer to the annexed drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the inside of a lock with the back part of the case removed; Fig. 2, section through dotted lines x x, Fig. l; Fig. 3, back view of lock with casing; Fig. 4, section through dotted line y y, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, detached view of latch-bolt; Fig. 6, detached view of dog for detaining the bolt within the lock.

Letter a represents a dog mounted on a fulcrum-pin, b, and provided with a spring, c. The arm d of the dog or catch plays freely in a right-angled groove, e, on the under side of the latch-bolt f, the spring forcing the dog into the lateral part eof the groove Whenever the bolt is withdrawn for the purpose of opening the door. The dog being kept in the lateral part of the groove by the spring, interposes to prevent the bolt from dying out when the hand is removed from the handle of the lock, and detains the bolt within the lock until released by mechanism set in action by Contact with the jamb of the door when closing thedoor, as

follows, viz:

Letter g represents a barrel or tube projecting from the back casing of the lock, and forming a guide and bearing for the sliding pin or rod h, which extends from within the lock, through the barrel kand door stile, to the opposite side of the door, through a hole made in the door-stile for that purpose, and projecting therefrom, say, about one-eighth of an inch, or a sufficient distance from the side of the door-frame to be forced back farl'enough` when brought in contact with the door-jamb at t' to move the dog or lever-catch a (one arm of which is opposite the other end of thesliding pin) out of the lateral part of the rightangled groove'in the bolt, and thus permit the free action of the bolt-spring to throw the bolt out into the keeper.

The door-j amb may be faced at the place of contact t' by a small metal plate, as shown in the drawings; or, in place thereof, a pin may be driven into the jamb, projecting far enough to act on the sliding pin in the lock, which in that case need not project from the side of the door.

From the above description it Will be evident that my said invention is not necessarily confined to the particular kind of lock or latch to which I have applied it, but may be used for any kind of a spring-latch bolt, whether in a mortiselock or the ordinary door-lock, and

is also applicable for drawer-locks, which may by its use be made spring-locks Without incurring the disadvantages of a bolt projecting upward from the front ot' the drawer.

The use of my invention dispenses with the necessity of beveling the end of the bolt or keeper, and if properly appliedr prevents the necessity of the double slam usual in closing doors where the bolt is forced back by the keeper.

Thercis nothing in my said imprevementto prevent the bolt from being fastened back temporarily by a hand-catch, as in night-latches. The bolt may be withdrawn by a key, a handle fast to it, as shown in the drawings, or by the ordinary turningknob handle arrangement in common use. o

I'have endeavored to describe what I consider the best Afrm of construction, but do not wish to limitl myself thereto precisely, as l any spring catch and notch which will seize and hold the bolt when drawn back in thelock for the purpose of opening the door and retain it Within the lock until released luy-contact with the door-jamb in the act of shutting the door, substantially as I have described, will be an equivalent arrangement.

The utility of my invention as respects the prevention of wear and tear and damage to which the ordinary latch-bolt is liable is so obvious that it is hardly necessary to speak of the removal of the liability heretofore existing in latch-bolts to wound. thepersons or tear the clothing of those who accidentally come in contaet with the sharp projecting beveled bolt commonly used.

While the door is open and until released in the act of shutting the door by the action of the door-jamb against the releasing mechanism, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

JAS. WM. LYON.

"Witnesses:

R. J. CUNNINGHAM, F. C. TREADWELL, Jr. 

